


Samsquatch

by jhoom



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, high school!au, mildly devious cas, supportive brother dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-28 23:43:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10841934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jhoom/pseuds/jhoom
Summary: Sam’s boyfriend tricks him into liking a nickname Dean gave him when he was five, and Sam isn’t even mad about it.





	Samsquatch

**Author's Note:**

> This is my May entry for the [SPN Rare Pair Creations Challenge](http://rareshipcreationschallenge.tumblr.com/). The theme was "colors" and my prompt was "Sasquatch Socks." For a visual reference of the color Sasquatch Socks, [click here](http://www.colorproperties.net/en/color/FF4681).
> 
> This is my first real attempt at Sastiel, so please be gentle <3
> 
> Come visit me on tumblr [@jhoomwrites](http://jhoomwrites.tumblr.com)

If there was one word to describe how Sam felt after he finally worked up the nerve to ask Cas out, it would be _relief_. Of course he was happy—ecstatic, actually—but he’d been such a mess before and now that they were together, the pressure was off and he could just _enjoy_ things.

Sam’s older brother and Cas have been friends for years. Which was great, because Cas is great, and that meant Sam got to hang out with him whenever the two older boys were working on homework or watching movies. Except Sam realized early on he had a crush on Cas, and that just made his stomach twist uncomfortably whenever Cas was over. He felt like a bumbling idiot; he wasn’t a klutz or anything, but when Cas was looking his way Sam would drop stuff or knock things over that one time Sam actually walked into a screen door. Ugh.

Never mind the sheer amount of word vomit he experienced. Anytime Dean and Cas were talking about it, Sam would babble on and on, listing every fact he’d ever read about the topic in an effort to impress Cas. God was it embarrassing. The worst part is every time, he _knew_ it was happening but couldn’t seem to figure out how to shut himself up. Dean would snicker at him and Cas would nod along politely, but it was so

Every time Cas left for the evening, Dean would close the front door and give Sam A Look.

“You okay there, Sammy?”

“I’m fine, Dean.”

“You sure? Because whenever Cas is around you lose like… half your brain cells. At some point I’m going to die of secondhand embarrassment—”

“Can we not talk about this?” Sam squeaked as he tried to rush up the stairs.

Dean cut him off. “Dude, just ask him out already.”

Sam tried to push past Dean, but he stayed firmly in his way. “But he’s older than me and he’s probably not interested—”

“First of all, he’s only, like, one year older. _Maybe_ two. He’s younger than me and we get along fine, so it’s not like he really gives a shit about that age difference crap. And second of all, how the hell would you know if he’s interested if you don’t _ask_?”

“Because if he says no, that’s just going to make thing awkward. I’ll have to hide in my room whenever you two hang out, and eventually you’ll feel guilty and not bring him over anymore, and I’ll have ruined your friendship because I asked this stupid question and—”

“Okay,” Dean interrupted. “But what if he says yes?”

Sam’s mouth snapped shut. That’s what finally did it: imagining if Cas said yes. Because then there’d be dates at the Roadhouse and quiet study sessions where they crowded onto Sam’s bed and handholding and chaste kisses goodnight and texting each other before going to bed. He’d been so damn busy assuming the worst would happen, he’d never even considered the alternative.

And the alternative? Pretty friggin’ awesome.

The next time Cas was over, Dean made up an excuse to leave the two of them alone. Sam asked Cas out on a date, and Cas had smiled shyly as he accepted.

So yeah, for the next few weeks, all Sam felt was profound _relief_.

It took a while for it to really hit him. He was dating _Cas_. _He_ was dating Cas.

Then he was all smiles.

It was actually really good timing. Sam and Cas started dating at the end of Dean’s senior year. Cas wouldn’t have been coming over anymore once Dean goes to college, and then Sam probably would’ve been mopey all school year (especially without having Dean around the house; the brothers might tease and annoy each other, but when you got down to it, they liked having each other around). They got to drive Dean off to school together, then spend the drive back cuddled up in the backseat and talking about their own plans for the school year.

Sam spent the first half of his junior year blissfully enjoying Cas’ company. They went out every other week on a real date, hung out most days in between, and definitely went all out for Homecoming. Life was good.

Then things got strange.

Whether he knew it or not, it started around Thanksgiving. Dean came home for a week, and of course Cas and Sam were eagerly awaiting his return. Sam missed his brother, Cas missed his best friend, and both were determined that their relationship wouldn’t make Dean feel left out. That was why they had big plans of watching Star Wars and eating apple pie when Dean first arrived.

“This is quite the welcoming committee,” Dean joked when he found both of them hovering by the front door. He dumped his bags by the closet and pulled Cas in for a hug first. “Missed you, buddy.”

“I missed you too, Dean.”

Sam rolled his eyes. Dean and Cas were always so overly dramatic after they hadn’t seen each other in a while. He remembered the time Cas’ family went on a cruise. Dean bitched the whole time and then practically tackled Cas when he got back. Of course, that might just be Sam’s jealousy talking; as Cas’ best friend’s little brother, he hadn’t had any right to complain about his absence or to hug him when he got back.

“I mean, _I_ could do without you,” Sam said with a shit-eating grin, effectively ending the moment.

Dean and Cas pulled apart and Dean moved to hug Sam next, only to stop abruptly. “Jesus Christ, you think you grew enough?”

Admittedly, Sam _had_ grown a few inches since the summer. He hadn’t realized just how much, though, until he was standing next to Dean. For the first time in, well, _ever_ , Dean actually had to _look up_ to meet his little brother’s eyes.

Dean frowned in annoyance as he reached up to muss his brother’s hair. “ _And_ you’re growing out your hair, Samsquatch?”

“Don’t call me that,” Sam snapped as he raised his arms defensively and ducked away from his brother. He wasn’t really annoyed—he figured all older siblings went through this whenever their younger siblings grew taller than them—but he wasn’t going to just _let_ Dean mess with him. “Don’t me mad just because I’m now the smart _and_ the tall one.”

“I notice how you’re not even _trying_ to say you’re the prettier one.” Dean did his best Blue Steel and pointed at his face. “Guess you know you can’t beat this.”

“No, I just didn’t want to hurt your feelings by saying I’m the smart _and_ tall _and_ cute one. Didn’t wanna rub it too much.”

“Okay, well, you’re obviously the tall one, but I did graduate top of my class and I’m reasonably certain I’m hot, so…”

The brothers both turned to Cas, the only other person here who could settle the dispute.

“Cas?” they said in unison as they turned to him.

Castiel looked back and forth between them briefly before saying, “No comment.”

“He’s just being nice to you because you’re dating,” Dean scoffed.

“Well, he’s just being nice to you because you’re best friends,” Sam shot back.

“I’m just being nice to both of you because apparently your fragile egos can’t handle the possibility that perhaps _I’m_ the smart, handsome one of the group.”

The brothers shared a look before they burst out laughing.

“Don’t ever change,” Dean said as he slung an arm around Cas’ shoulder.

“I’ll go get dinner ready,” Sam offered. “Cas, why don’t you help Dean get his stuff upstairs?”

On his way into the kitchen, Sam could hear the two friends chatting.

“Samsquatch?” Cas asked skeptically.

“Just a nickname from when he was a kid. He hates it.”

“Really?” Cas said more, but Sam couldn’t quite catch the words. He was too far away to hear, but he assumed his boyfriend was sticking up for him and chiding his big brother not to tease him.

Sam had no reason to think anything of it, and he promptly forgot about the whole thing.

A few days later, Cas showed up in the evening on Thanksgiving. Castiel usually ate dinner with his own family and then joined the Winchesters to watch football for the rest of the day, and this year was no exception. The only difference was that when Castiel arrived, he had a gift under his arm for Sam.

“For me?” Sam asked, totally surprised. “Thanksgiving’s not really a gift holiday though, Cas.”

Castiel shrugged. “I got a gift for my boyfriend. Is there something wrong with that?”

Sam blushed. “No, of course not.”

He opened up the box to reveal a holiday sweater in a peculiar pink-ish color. It actually looked pretty good, even if it was a color he’d never pick himself. The material was thick but soft, not scratchy like the wool sweaters Sam normally saw during the holidays.

“Thanks, Cas.” He put it on and thanked his boyfriend with a kiss. Sam completely missed the suspicious look Dean was giving them.

The sweater soon became Sam’s favorite (in no small part because it was from Cas); he wore it as often as he could. So when Cas got him a matching pair of socks, he was actually really excited. After the socks, it was a t-shirt in the exact same color. It had a picture of Bigfoot on it and a few words in Japanese or something written on it, but whatever. Then it was a bracelet with beads the same color (though there are some blue ones, too, that remind Sam of Cas’ eyes). Sam wore it until it broke, then he fixed it and put it around his ankle instead so he wouldn’t lose it.

Sam didn’t know what prompted Cas to start with the gifts in the first place, and certainly not what kept him buying things this color, but oh well. It wasn’t a bad color or anything, it was just weird that it was all the _same_ color. He might not get it, but he definitely liked it.

By the end of the school year, Sam has enough clothes in that same distinct pink color that he wore it basically every day. It was probably his favorite color, actually, if he thought about it. It just reminded him of Cas and all the comfy clothes he had, and the good memories of snuggling Cas while wearing those clothes… So yeah, definitely his favorite color.

Dean showed up at home after his finals—a full month before Sam and Cas were done school—and took one look at Sam. He didn’t say anything though, just shook his head and went to unpack.

A few days later, Sam was wearing the tank top Cas got him a few weeks ago. He was at the mall with Dean and Cas, mostly to hang out but they’d also been told by their mothers to get some new clothes for the summer. They were wandering around American Eagle when Sam spotted a thin sweatshirt in the same color Cas kept buying for him. Without a second thought, he grabbed one in his size and kept walking.

He heard Dean make a noise in the back of his throat and stopped to stare at his brother. “What?”

Dean and Cas shared a look before Dean rolled his eyes.“I can’t believe I’m fucking doing this but… you know what that color’s called?” He gestured to the sweatshirt and Sam’s tank top.

Sam looked down at his clothes before looking back at Dean. “Pink? Violet red? Does it matter?”

Once again, the two friend shared a look. Sam had no clue what Dean was getting at, but Cas looked… smug? Why would he look smug?

“It’s Sam’s favorite color,” Castiel said, a barely contained smile pulling at the edges of his lips. “Right, Sam?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah. I think it looks good on me. Goes good with my hair.”

Dean snorted; he looked like he wanted to either laugh or cry. Once he’d regained his composure he asked, “You wanna know what it’s called?”

He didn’t really care, but he was curious where this was going. “Sure?”

Dean licked his lips, drawing out the moment a little longer. “It’s called ‘Sasquatch Socks.’”

“Sasquatch Socks?” Sam repeated. That would explain the shirt with the Bigfoot creature on it, he supposed. But why would Dean care about the color? Or Cas for that matter?

Wait a minute...

Sam rounded on his boyfriend. “Cas… Does this have anything to do with… with…?”

“With your brother calling you Samsquatch?” Castiel gave a half shrug and an attempt at an innocent smile. It didn’t help that his eyes were shining with amusement. “Maybe.”

“Oh.” Still kind of weird, but now that he knew the motivation behind Cas’ gift choices, it was actually kind of funny. “So basically I’ve been a Samsquatch since Thanksgiving?”

“Yes,” Cas confirmed with a wink. “A very adorable Samsquatch.”

“Fuck!” Dean groaned. “I lost the damn bet!”

“You bet on me?” Sam asked, pretending to be offended.

“Yes. And I appreciate you helping me win.” Cas pulled Sam in for a quick kiss on the nose. “Let’s go get some ice cream to celebrate.”

“Ice cream sounds amazing.”

“Alright,” Dean grunted. “But you’re buying, Samsquatch.”

“Fine with me.” A pause. “... Just let me buy this sweatshirt first though.”

* * *

**Bonus Scene: The Bet**

“Samsquatch?” Cas asked skeptically.

“Just a nickname from when he was a kid. He hates it.”

“Really? I bet I could make him appreciate it.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? You wanna bet?”

“Bet what?”

“Uh…” Dean thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. “Okay, I got it. You get Sam to admit he likes the nickname and let me keep calling him it without complaining, you can use the Impala all next summer when I’m back home.”

“I’m not actually interested in the Impala,” Castiel pointed out. “I’m fine with my own car.”

“Yeah, but you’d love getting to rub it in my face.”

“... Okay, fine. But what do you get if I can’t?”

“If you can’t do it by the time the school year's over, then you gotta make me a pie every week until I go back in the fall. Deal?” He offered Cas a hand.

Castiel shrugged and took it. “Deal.”

Dean smiled and grabbed his bags. “How you gonna do it?” He paused a second and wrinkled his nose. “Ugh, nevermind. If this involves sex stuff, please do _not_ tell me about it.”

“It won’t be necessary.” Castiel slung Dean’s backpack over his shoulder and followed his friend up the stairs.

“Oh, you that good are you?”

“Yes.”

Turned out Cas was right.


End file.
